


Studying You

by elenawrites



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10079843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenawrites/pseuds/elenawrites
Summary: A late night takes an unexpected turn. Harry doesn't really mind. Written for mxlfoydraco's fic competition on tumblr.





	

If someone had told Harry Potter two months ago that he’d soon be sitting in the library at midnight working on his homework with Draco Malfoy, he would have laughed. He would have reassured this apparently very confused, very optimistic person that he and Malfoy were not capable of such civility, that they were most definitely _not_ friends and it was possible they’d never get past cold acceptance of one another.

And Harry would’ve been wrong.

Here he was sitting inside the shelves at a quarter past twelve, forehead against the table as his work lay abandoned around him. Draco sat a foot away, papers relatively organized as he rested his chin on the parchment in front of him and tapped his quill. They’d been at this for two, maybe three hours, and Harry’s brain felt fuzzy. He wanted nothing more than to crawl up to Gryffindor tower and forget about the whole assignment, but he’d promised Hermione they’d have their studying done by tonight.

“Y'know, you’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t stop bashing your quill against the table,” mumbled Harry, picking his head up slightly to turn and look at Draco.

Draco’s eyelids were fluttering as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Harry vaguely noticed his lashes glinting in the low light of the lamps around them, that static in his head clearing for a moment as he watched them move.

Draco’s grip loosened enough that the quill fell to the ground.

“Damn it, Potter,” he said, the old venom barely in his voice, and he reached down to pick it up. Harry grinned lazily at Draco’s rumpled shirt and mussed hair, his pristine appearance breaking as it got later and later into the night.

“Potter,” Draco muttered again as he sat up. His eyes were closed and he smiled slightly as he repeated the word, stretching out the syllables. “Pott-er. P _ot_ -ter, Pot- _ter_.”

Harry was suddenly very glad Draco’s eyes were closed, as he was now staring at and unconsciously mirroring Draco’s smile. “That’s my name, yes.”

Draco leaned his head back and stretched his arms high, yawning with his eyes still shut. “I know it’s your name. ’S been running ‘round my head for the past hour.”

Harry’s mouth had gone dry for some reason at the sight of Draco’s head tossed back so slowly like that, at his delicate fingers looped together in the air, at the way his skin seemed to be glowing in the light. Semi-panicked thoughts erupted in his mind in full-force, and his next words came out in a rasp. “Been thinking about me a lot then, have you?”

Draco opened one eye and raised an eyebrow, smile growing every so slightly in a way that made Harry’s stomach suddenly flip. Adrenaline seemed to course through him, and Harry was no longer sleepy but quite alert as he processed what was occurring inside his brain right now.

_Watching his eyelashes, grinning uncontrollably, mouth going dry at—well—_

Well.

Harry knew what it sounded like.

Harry knew what it _was_.

What he didn’t know was how to take care of it.

“You’re staring at me,” said Draco, letting his arms fall back onto the table.

“Just trying to figure out how you reckon we’ll finish all this—” Harry gestured at the papers around them “—by tonight.”

Draco pushed his work aside. “How _you’ll_ finish all this, you mean, because I’m nearly at the end now.”  

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Draco held up a finger and smiled again.

Harry fell silent.

“I’ve got a plan,” said Draco in a voice that sounded too smooth for twelve in the morning. “I’m going to quiz you. If you get the hard questions right, I’ll give you something.”

Harry scoffed and leaned back in his chair. “You’ll give me _something?_ Just what would that something be, Draco?”

The rest of his thoughts came in a slur in his mind: _’_ _Something’. That sounds vaguely… Secretive? Sexual? Oh, Merlin, help me…._

“Question one,” Draco began, but Harry interjected.

“I’m still waiting on the definition of _something_ ,” he said, trying to sound casual.

Draco laughed a little, shushing Harry and holding up his papers. “Question one—”

“ _Draco_. Come on.”

Draco leaned forward in his seat, the smile on his face broad and somewhat smug. “Oh, shut it, Potter,” he said, “This one’s so difficult, you won’t even have to worry about the something. Actually, I’ll give you a goddamn _kiss_ if you get it right.”  

_Kiss_.

Harry’s brain went haywire.

“Are you drunk?” he murmured incredulously, the words  _’_ _how did he know, how did he know?’_ repeating inside him.

Draco’s smile softened. “You don’t think I could see it?”

Harry opened his mouth, but no words came out. Draco leaned closer, and Harry could feel himself blushing.

“You don’t think I noticed how you’d stare,” said Draco quietly. “You would. You’d blush sometimes if I caught you. You’d study with me, just like now, and then I’d have the feeling that you were studying _me_. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that—”

Harry spoke very suddenly, as if he only had a few seconds before this opportunity would pass forever, and maybe it would. “You’re not wrong.”

He immediately turned even redder, resisting the urge to cover his face with his hands and groan out loud, but then Draco broke out into his huge grin again, and Harry felt himself doing the same, and they sat there grinning and leaning in to each other, and Harry’s heartbeat was in his ears and his hands were gripping the edge of the chair so he’d stay upright, and he had been so so tired and _now—_

_“So,_ _”_ Draco said loudly, shaking them both out of their daze. “Question one, for a kiss: what are the side effects of the Elixir to Induce Euphoria that can be counterbalanced with peppermint?”

_Of course. Of all the things he’s going to talk about now, he chooses potions. Git._ _Stupid, attractive git. Git who’s feelings are mutual._

So while Harry certainly felt like he’d just taken Euphoria, he sure as hell didn’t know the answer right now.

“Are you really—

“Answer the question, Potter!” Draco smirked. “Won’t it be worth it in the end?”

Harry only smiled in response, shaking his head.

It was worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and comments are always appreciated; thanks for reading!


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